Hubby and I have a family member who has chosen to cut all ties with the family … changing address, changing phone number, changing email, disconnecting all social media, changing last name, etc. …
This family member does not want to be associated with the family at all.
This family member does not want to be found!
The thing is, hubby and I and our kids love this family member very much! No matter how much this family member does not want to be a part of the family, it doesn’t change the fact that we are family … regardless. We share the same bloodline. We are “connected” at a deep level in some strange unseen family way.
Not only that, both hubby and our son work in technology. So … with just a couple of typety-types on the computer, our son was able to easily find this missing family member. Hubby and I and our kids know exactly where this family member is, what they are doing, what they have changed their name to, how to get in contact with them.
This family member thinks they have “disappeared” completely. They think they have forever left behind all ties with the family.
And yet, hubby and I and our kids are right here … still loving them, still praying for them, and full of hopeful expectation that one day they will reach out and restore the relationship.
We have discussed amongst ourselves whether or not we should reach out. The unanimous decision of us all is that this “lost” family member does not want to be “found.” We therefore respect their wish. We will not reach out.
This situation is very similar to what humanity is like when it comes to our relationship with God. God loves each person very much! But many people do not want anything to do with God! They attempt to cut all ties with God completely!
They try to “disappear” … they try to run far away.
They do not want a relationship with God.
But just like hubby and I and our kids still love our missing family member very much … so also, in the same way God loves very much every person who is trying to run far away.
Just like hubby and I and our kids know exactly where our missing family member is … so also, in the same way God knows exactly where every person is who is trying to run far away.
God is right there. God is right there … even though people don’t think he is.
Just like hubby and I and our kids respect our family member’s wish not to be “found” … so also, in the same way God respects each person’s wish not to be “found.” God will not “beat the door down” of our heart and force us to have a relationship with him. God very much would like to have a close, warm, loving relationship with us. But if a person chooses not to … God will let them.
And one day when our missing family member decides to reconnect with us, and wishes to restore the relationship … hubby and I and our kids will welcome them with open arms! We love them! Our love for them has never changed! We will always be here waiting for them …
The same thing is true when it comes to God. God is waiting with open arms! God loves each person! God’s love for each person has never changed! And God will always be here waiting …
